Tamperproof closure seal



June 9, 19360 s. GRAUER 2,043,243 I TAMPERPROOF CLOSURE SEAL Filed April 20, 1955 2 sheets sheet 1 INVENTOR. O/Omar: raver BY June 9, 13.. s. GRAUER TAMPERPROOF CLOSURE SEAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Filed April 20, 1935 INVENTOR. v

ci/amen Gran/er B f2 a ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 9, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 7 Claims.

The invention relates to tamper-proof seals of the type which when once placed on a bottle, or other container, cannot be removed therefrom Without breaking the bottle or container. It has for its main object to provide a seal which may be used in connection with various kinds of stoppers or closure devices and which will immediately indicate the initial opening of such. Another object is to so construct the seal that it may be used in connection with non-refillable bottle stoppers to effectively prevent their removal from the bottles, which is one of the most serious disadvantages of most non-refillable stoppers now on the market. A further object is to provide a device which may be manufactured and secured on a bottle at a very low cost and with a minimum expenditure of labor, and which will not materially add to the size of the bottle nor detract from its appearance.

These and various other objects and advantages will be readily understood from the following description and from the accompanying drawings of preferred embodiments of the invention, in which, however, modifications may be made without de' parting from the scope of the appended claims. In the drawings Fig. l is a side view, shown partly in crosssection, of the neck of a bottle to which the invention has been applied;

Fig. Z is another side view;

Fig. 3 is a similiar side view with the seal and the closure cap removed to show the construction of the bottle neck;

Fig. 4 is a top view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a side view of the closure seal;

Fig. 6 is a top view of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a top view of a slightly modified seal;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of another slight modification of the seal;

40 Fig. 9 is a bottom view of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a side view of another modification of the seal;

Fig. 11 is a top view of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a side view of a bottle neck containing a seal as used in connection with non-refillable bottle stoppers;

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional side elevation of the bottle neck shown in Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional side elevation of Fig.

12 but with a closure cap added;

Fig. 15 is a top view of Fig. 14; Fig. 16 is a top view of Fig. 12; Fig. 17 is a top view of Fig. 13; Fig. 18 is a side view of the closure cap shown in Fig. 12;

Fig. 19 is a side view of a bottle neck with a closure seal of a slightly modified construction;

Fig. 20 is a top view of Fig. 19; and

Fig. 21 is a top view of a seal slightly modified from that shown in Figs. 19 and 20. 5

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 9, in which the bottle neck is shown at I I], a closure cap at H and the seal at l2, the upper part of the bottle neck is provided with a thread l3 on which the closure cap fits. The seal is of tubular shape with an inwardly extending flange l4 formed at its top and has a plurality of cut-out portions I5, as plainly shown in Fig. 5. An arm It is connected to the flange I4 by a weakened portion ll. The arm extends upwardly and inwardly over the cap and terminates in a finger grip 18, as plainly shown in Fig. 1.

The bottle neck H), as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, is provided with a plurality of grooves IS. The seal 12 is inserted over the shoulder 20 in such a manner that the cut-out portions l5 fit over a plurality of projections 2| formed in the bottle neck. After the seal has been placed over the shoulder 26, the lower edges of the seal are pressed into the grooves I9 to form hooks 22 which engage against the upper part of the grooves. These hooks are plainly shown in Figs. 1, 5, 7 and 9. While I prefer to form the hooks after the seal has been placed on the bottle, in some cases I find it advantageous to form the hooks first and then snap the seal over the bottle neck. When this is done a plurality of slots 23 are preferably formed in the seal to make it more yielding.

It would be seen that, when the seal has been placed on the bottle, the cap ll cannot be removed without bending the arm IE. As the arm is weakened at H, this bending will cause it to break off and thus show that the cap has been removed from the bottle. Inasmuch as the seal is completely embedded in the glass of the bottle neck, it is impossible to pry the seal ofi and to substitute another. Thus any initial opening of the bottle is plainly indicated. When slots, such as shown at 23 are employed, ridges of glass may be moulded on the bottle neck to extend into these slots.

In Figs. 7 and 9 the seal is shown with two arms, but it is evident that any number of arms may be employed. In Fig. 8, which is particularly suitable for a bottle in which an ordinary cork stopper is employed, the arm 24 does not extend upwardly but is merely bent inwardly so as to engage with the top of the cork. In Figs. 10 and 11 semi-circular shields 25 and 26 have been substituted for the arms. These shields are only connected to the seal by the narrow portions 27 and are provided with finger grips 28 to facilitate bending them sidewardly. The shields fit over the whole cap H and must be broken oif before it can be removed.

Reference is now had to Figs. 12 to 18, inclusive. The bottle neck 29 is provided with a plurality of grooves 30, as in the previous cases, and the seal 3! is provided with hooks 32 which engage in these grooves. Projections 33 fit in the cut-out portions 34, but in this case a thread 35 is formed on the projections. The seal now being described is particularly well adapted for securing non-refillable bottle stoppers, such as the one shown at 36, in the neck of a bottle.

The stopper is inserted in the bottle in the usual manner and a gasket 31 is placed on top of the bottle and underneath the flange 38 of the stopper. The seal has no arm, but the flange 39 is provided with a downwardly extending rim 58 which engages the flange 38 and imparts resiliency to the seal and clamps the stopper in the bottle after the hooks 32 have been bent into the grooves 38. An internally threaded cap 4! may be placed on the thread 35 and a gasket 52 is preferably placed inside of the cap for engagement with the top of the seal.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 19 and 20 the projections 33 carry no thread and a substantially circular arm 43 is formed on the seal and connected to it by the narrow portion 4-3, plainly shown in Fig. 20. The arm is provided with a finger grip 45 and engages on a cork gasket 46 which closes the outlet opening 31 in the nonrefillable stopper 36. The seal shown in Fig. 21 is provided with two semi-circular arms 48 and 49 which are connected to the seal by narrow portions 50 and BI. It is provided with finger grips 52 and 53, and arms engage the gasket 46. It will be seen that before the gasket can be removed so that the contents can be poured from the bottle, the arms 43, or 5!] and 5!, as the case may be, must be broken off.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the seal is of simple and inexpensive construction and that it cannot be removed from the bottle when once attached thereto. While I have described the various seals in combination with bottles only, it is evident that similar seals might be employed on various other containers where such seals might be desirable or advantageous. Likewise, while I have described and illustrated one embodiment of the seal for use with a non-refillable bottle stopper, it is evident that this embodiment may also be used for permanently securing other stoppers in bottles, as for example, stoppers used for sprinkling hair tonics, perfumes and the like.

Having described the invention and its objects, what I claim as new and wish to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a tubular seal attachable over the discharge end of a container, an inwardly extending flange formed at the upper end of the seal, a plurality of cut-out portions formed in the other end of the seal and adapted to accommodate a plurality of projections provided on the container, inwardly extending hooks formed on the end of the seal which when engaged in grooves provided in the container secure the seal to the container and permanently prevent its removal therefrom, and a plurality of arms connected to said flange and extending inwardly over and engaging the closure of the container, and the connections between.

the arms and the flange weakened to facilitate breaking said connections.

2. A device of the class described comprising a tubular seal attachable over the discharge end of a container, an inwardly extending flange formed at the upper end of the seal, a plurality of cut-out portions formed in the other end of the seal and adapted to accommodate a plurality of projections provided on the container, inwardly extending hooks formed on the end of the seal for permanent engagement in grooves provided in the container, a pair of semi-circular shields connected to said seal and extending inwardly from said flange to cover the closure of the container, and the connections between the shields and the seal weakened to facilitate breaking said connections.

3. In combination; a container having a plurality of radial projections around its discharge opening and grooves between said projections and some distance below the discharge opening; a stopper inserted in the discharge opening and having an outwardly extending flange; and a tubular seal attachable over the discharge end of the container, said seal having an inwardly extending flange engageable on the flange of the stopper, a plurality of cut-out portions for accommodating the projection on the container, and a plurality of hooks on its lower end which when engaged in the grooves in the container se- 9 cure the seal to the container and permanently prevent its removal therefrom.

l. In combination; a container having a plurality of radial projections around its discharge opening and grooves between said projections and some distance below the discharge opening; a stopper inserted in the discharge opening and having an outwardly extending flange; a tubular seal attachable over the discharge end of the container, said seal having an inwardly extending flange engageable on the flange of the stopper, a plurality of cut-out portions for accommodating the projections on the container, a plurality of books on its lower end which when engaged in the grooves in the container secure the seal to the container and permanently prevent its removal therefrom, and the said projections provided with external threads; and an internally threaded cap secured on said threads.

5. In combination; a container having an external'thread around its discharge opening, an enlargement below said thread, a plurality of radial projections on said enlargement, and grooves between and at the lower ends of said projections; a closure cap secured on the thread; and a tubular seal secured on the container and having an inwardly extending flange formed on the upper end of and engaged against the upper end of the enlargement on the container, a plurality of cut-out portions for accommodating the projections on the enlargement, a plurality of hooks on its lower end which when engaged in the grooves in the enlargement secure the seal to the container and permanently prevent its removal therefrom, an upwardly and inwardly extending arm for engaging the top of the closure cap, and the connection between the arm and the seal weakened to facilitate breaking the connection.

6. In combination; a container having an external thread around its discharge opening, an enlargement below said thread, and grooves some distance below the top of said enlargement; a closure cap secured on the thread; and a tubular seal secured on the container and having an inwardly extending flange formed on the upper end of and engaged against the upper end of the enlargement on the container, a plurality of hooks on its lower end which when engaged in the grooves in the enlargement secure the seal to the radial projections on said enlargement, and

grooves between and at the lower ends of said projections; a closure cap secured on the thread; and a tubular seal secured on the container and having an inwardly extending flange formed on the upper end of and engaged against the upper end of the enlargement on the container, a plurality of cut-out portions for accommodating the projections on the enlargement, a plurality of hooks on its lower end which when engaged in the grooves in the enlargement secure the seal to the container and permanently prevent its removal therefrom, a plurality of upwardly and inwardly extending arms for engaging the top of the closure cap, and the connections between the arms and the seal weakened tofacilitate break ing the connections.

8. In combination; a container having an external thread around its discharge opening, an enlargement below said thread, a plurality of radial projections on said enlargement, and grooves between and at the lower ends of said projections; a closure cap secured on the thread; and a tubular seal secured on the container and having an inwardly extending flange formed on the upper end of and engaged against the upper end of the enlargement on the container, a plurality of cutout portions for accommodating the projections on the enlargement, a plurality of hooks on its lower end which when engaged in the grooves in the enlargement secure the seal to the container and permanently prevent its removal therefrom, upwardly extending shields for covering the 010- sure cap, and the connections between the shields and the seal weakened to facilitate breaking the connections.

9. A device of the class described comprising a tubular seal attachable over the discharge end of a container, an inwardly extending flange formed at the upper end of the seal, the lower end of the seal adapted to be bent into a groove provided in the container on which a seal is used for permanent engagement with said container, a pair of semi-circular shields connected to said seal and extending inwardly from said flange to cover the closure device of the container, and the connections between the shield and the seal weakened to facilitate breaking said connections.

SOLOMON GRAUER. 

